Marg Helgenberger

A comely, red-haired leading lady with an open-faced, forceful manner, Marg Helgenberger began on the small screen as the feisty rookie police officer Siobhan Ryan on ABC's Irish-flavored daytime soap...
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Beloved U.S. TV actress Marcia Strassman has died, aged 66. The Welcome Back, Kotter star passed away on Friday (24Oct14) following a battle with breast cancer.
Strassman also appeared on M*A*S*H and other hit 1970s TV series, as well as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its 1992 sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kids.
She was also a national board member for the Screen Actors Guild.
Superstar Cher and actresses Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger were among the first celebrities to pay tribute to Strassman.
Cher tweeted, "Wanted U2 No (you to know), a funny, talented friend died. Not 4U (for you) 2 (to) feel sorry 4me (for me), but she died alone, & energy from U (sic) is powerful."
Delany added, "Very sad to say my friend Marcia Strassman has lost her battle with breast cancer. Her sass, sparkle & wit will be missed. 1 of a kind broad (sic)."
Helgenberger offered, "So sorry to hear of Marcia Strassman's passing. I always enjoyed performing with her."

AMC
Ever since Mad Men debuted on AMC in 2007, the 1960s has been as integral a part of the show as John Hamm's shadowy and conflicted Don Draper. Both because the characters react to what would've been happening in the real world at the time as well as the embrace of the style and swagger of the early '60s — when cocktail hour was as important to business as having a good steno pool. These elements have helped to define the series' look and feel.
Mad Men does perhaps as good a job as any show ever in recreating a very specific period in American history, delving into storylines that don’t try to shy away from the social norms of New York during that time, which would include a lot of smoking and drinking to go along with institutional sexism and racism. The show also impeccably recreates the '60s fashion trends, lending an air of authenticity to what we're watching. (The writers occasionally slip with business phrases that are more '80s than '60s, but why quibble?)
Because it was such a defining decade in the history of the country, the '60s have been used as a backdrop for any number of series over the years. The Playboy Club and Pan Am both tried unsuccessfully to match the feel of Mad Men, and both suffered in comparison lasting for just a season each. So, what other shows besides Mad Men have done a good job of capturing the era of Vietnam, Kennedy, and the Beatles?
China Beach
The drama set at a Vietnam military medical way-station earned a Best Drama Golden Globe and Emmys for acting for Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger. While another series at roughly the same time — Tour of Duty — was covering the combat aspect of the Vietnam War, China Beach excelled at showing the human side of the war, as characters mourned those that were lost and reacted to news that they received from back in the States. The show attempted to comment on how the war affected more than just the people fighting it, and even occasionally showed real interviews with people who had been at the real China Beach.
The Wonder Years
There might have been no greater change during the '60s than the dynamic within suburban families, and The Wonder Years showcased that. While at heart it was just a family sitcom with panache for melodrama, it did a wonderful job of both showing the frustration of the parents over the changing times and the confusion mixed with optimism of the children. Fred Savage's Kevin dealt with normal early teen issues, but one of his friends (Danica McKellar's Winnie) had a brother who was killed in Vietnam, and his sister (Olivia d'Abo) was more interested in protesting the war than in listening to their parents. The show moved into the '70s as it went along, but the first couple of seasons showed a slice of '60s suburbia that no one else has quite captured before or since.
Laverne and Shirley/Happy Days
Both sitcoms began in the late '50s before migrating into the '60s (Happy Days by the sixth season and Laverne and Shirley by its third… although, really, each frequently had trouble deciding which decade they were in at any given time). Garry Marshall's pair of sitcoms never pretended to be an actual historical representation of the times that they were set in, but both managed to capture the vibe that American Graffiti —set in 1962 — had previously… namely in the optimism of young adults at the beginning of Kennedy's America. Neither show was trying to do much more than make people laugh, but thanks to the music that was employed throughout the runs of both shows they each managed to do it just the same. Of course, if you want us to try and explain why Scott Baio's Chachi had a very '70s blown-dried and feathered haircut for much of Happy Days' '60s years… well, you've got us there.
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Hollywood heavyweights Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage were among the stars who paid tribute to producer Jerry Bruckheimer during a star-studded ceremony in California on Thursday night (12Dec13). Bruckheimer, the brains behind films including Top Gun, Bad Boys and Pirates of the Caribbean, was presented with the 27th American Cinematheque Award in a glitzy event at the Beverly Hilton hotel, and the cream of Hollywood turned out to honour him.
Willis, who appeared in Bruckheimer's 1998 blockbuster Armageddon, was given the job of presenting him with the trophy, which has only ever been given to actors, and he hailed him as a "generous and gracious man."
Clips from a number of his most famous movies were also shown throughout the evening and presenters included Jon Voight, who has appeared in five Bruckheimer films, Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Armie Hammer, composer Hans Zimmer, and Marg Helgenberger, who starred in the producer's hit TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Cruise and Cage also filmed taped tributes which were shown at the event, along with Pirates of the Caribbean star Depp, who credited the producer with helping him keep his place in the Disney franchise, saying, "Basically, a number of Disney types or two would have liked to see me replaced at Disney... fired... and were talking about putting in subtitles in (sic) for (my character) Captain Jack and couldn't understand what the character was or who he was or why he was and why I was playing it that way, and they were quite upset. Jerry stuck by me the whole way... He's the great protector. He's quite a force to experience."
Tributes also came in from Martin Lawrence and Eric Bana, while Bruckheimer used his speech to remember his filmmaker friend Tony Scott, who died last year (12), calling him a "true visual genius whose energy and unique vision set the standard for high-voltage filmmaking."
The evening also included a performance by Berlin star Terri Nunn, who sang Top Gun theme Take My Breath Away.
Cage, Cruise and Willis are all among previous recipients of the award.

Bruce Willis will present the 27th American Cinematheque Award to movie mogul Jerry Bruckheimer at a gala tribute to the filmmaker in Beverly Hills on Thursday night (12Dec13). Cuba Gooding, Jr., Marg Helgenberger, Sir Ben Kingsley and Dame Helen Mirren are expected to be among the famous friends who will salute Bruckheimer at the bash.

Actress Dana Delany grew emotional recently as she reunited with her China Beach castmates Marg Helgenberger, Troy Evans and Ricki Lake to celebrate the classic TV drama's 25th anniversary. The stars of the Vietnam War series were joined by old pals including Michael Boatman, Robert Picardo, Concetta Tomei, Jeff Kober and co-creator John Sacret Young for the special get-together for U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America, which aired on Monday (30Sep13).
Evans, who actually fought in the war before becoming an actor, admitted the show served as a form of therapy for him because he had never really talked about his experiences in the conflict.
He said, "I, like a lot of vets (veterans), just buried it, I thought I'd forgotten it and for me, China Beach was my therapy. That was my bridge back into, really back into, civilisation."
Delany revealed that working on China Beach had given her a sense of purpose and she fought back tears as she recalled her time on the show, which ran for four seasons from 1988 until 1991.
She explained, "For me at least, it was the first acting job where I really felt the responsibility, we felt like we were on a mission...
"(But) you know... Troy was there, we weren't in Vietnam and I just feel like, I'm an actor, but I just feel so honoured that we got to tell some stories that you know, for the other people who couldn't talk, so I'm just glad (for that)."

Actress Marg Helgenberger has teamed up with fundraisers at Stand Up to Cancer for the second year in a row to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. The CSI star has also partnered with The Safeway Foundation for a public service campaign called Together We're Creating a Brighter Tomorrow.
On 1 October (13), shoppers at Safeway grocery stores across America and Canada will be able to purchase a $2.99 (£1.99) reusable shopping bag and a portion of the proceeds will go to breast cancer research.
Helgenberger was eager to participate in the fundraising effort because of her personal experience with the disease.
She tells TVGuide.com, "My mother's a breast cancer survivor. I was really honoured, because it's something that obviously means a lot to me.
"I was 20 or 21, and the thought of losing my mother was... beyond my comprehension. Thankfully, she survived and has thrived, and she has not had any recurrences. I have been eternally grateful for her survival, so if I can add my name to something that will spread the word and help get people to have screenings - why not, you know?"
Fundraisers at the Safeway Foundation have raised $119 million (£79.3 million) to date for research, but the actress hopes more people will get involved.
She continues, "Every single person on the planet is affected by cancer in some way. Everyone can relate to it. Some people haven't been so lucky, in that their loved ones didn't survive. The longer we're around and the more research is available and more treatments and technologies are made available, then the survivorship will just grow and grow."

Television's Csi: Crime Scene Investigation will be short-staffed for a while - show regular George Eads has taken a leave of absence. The actor, who has portrayed forensic scientist Nick Stokes since the series began in 2000, is taking a break from the drama after appearing in the first three episodes of the upcoming 14th season, which begins in America next month (Sep13).
A spokesman for the show says, "George Eads will not appear in several episodes during the first half of the season. We look forward to him returning to CSI very soon."
It is not clear why the actor is taking a leave of absence, but reports suggest the news comes after he was involved in an altercation with a pregnant writer on the show. A representative for Eads has declined to comment.
The actor briefly departed the show nine years ago (04) amid a salary dispute.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Eads' absence will be addressed in the fourth episode of the season when his former castmate Marg Helgenberger returns to the show for the landmark 300th episode.

Marg Helgenberger is set for a return to hit forensics drama Csi: Crime Scene Investigation for the show's 300th episode. The actress quit the show in 2011, but her character Catherine Willows wasn't killed off and she expressed an interest in returning to the series for one-off episodes.
Helgenberger will return to help Ted Danson and the current cast solve a case that seems more than similar to one her character investigated at the beginning of the CSI run 14 years ago, according to TVLine.com.
Executive producer Don McGill says, "We will flash back 14 years to seminal moments that show Catherine, Nick (George Eads), Sara (Jorja Fox), Greg (Eric Szmanda) and Ecklie (Marc Vann) as they were, (and how that) informed the evolution of the characters now. It's going to be a really fun episode, very emotional."
The new season of CSI premieres in America on 25 September (13).

Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston's publicist Eddie Michaels has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 49. The Hollywood representative passed away on Thursday (08Aug13) in Los Angeles after a long fight against brain cancer, according to his wife Lorin.
In a blog post on Thursday, she wrote, "Tonight after 7 years of various treatments, setbacks, hopes, dreams, successes, trials, perseverance, fight, commitment and love for the kids and me, Eddie finally laid down his sword and stopped the fight with the kids' and my blessing..."
Michaels began his career with his mentor, Joe Sutton, at Freeman & Sutton. In 1992, he founded Eddie Michaels & Associates and relaunched it as Insignia Public Relations in 2004.
Throughout his career, Michaels represented many of Hollywood's top stars, including Barrymore, Huston, Noah Wyle, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jeremy Piven, Marg Helgenberger, Mary Steenburgen, Patrick Dempsey, Jason Biggs and Dougray Scott, among many others.
A statement issued by former ER star Wyle reads: "Eddie was indeed of the old school but never became cynical. He was experienced but without being jaded. Above all, he was honest, sometimes painfully so, but that only made him more trustworthy. In an industry fueled by hyperbole, his candor was refreshing, his perspective invaluable."
A funeral is due to take place at Mount Sinai Memorial Park on Sunday (11Aug13). In lieu of flowers, family members have asked that donations be made in Michaels' honour to Wilshire Boulevard Temple or to the Johnnie Cochran Brain Institute.

Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher and Tom Cruise were among the celebrities who turned out to applaud producer Jerry Bruckheimer as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Monday (24Jun13). The moviemaker unveiled the 2,501st pavement plaque, and the famous faces from his films were on hand to witness the ceremony.
Jerry O'Connell, Marg Helgenberger, Jon Voight and Martin Lawrence attended the ceremony, as did the producer's wife Linda.
Depp made a speech in honour of the moviemaker, who he has collaborated with on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and this year's (13) The Lone Ranger.
He declared, "Without Jerry, there would be no Pirates, there would be no (character) Captain Jack. Without Jerry, there would be no Lone Ranger, there would be no reinvigorated Tonto. So I have a lot to thank him for.
"The man is a legend to me, a legend to us all, hence this congregation to celebrate him for his long-deserved star on the Walk of Fame."
Bruckheimer called the star an "unbelievable honour" and joked, "I won't get too big-headed, though, because the list also includes Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and the Three Stooges."

Title

Made feature film debut in one segment of the horror anthology "After Midnight"

Played Woody Harrelson's love interest in "The Cowboy Way"

Acted opposite Val Kilmer in the heist thriller "Columbus Day"

Cast in a featured role opposite Julia Roberts in the Oscar-winning film "Erin Brockovich"

First prominent role was as Karen Charlene "K.C." Koloski, a heroin-addicted prostitute on the ABC war drama "China Beach"; nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1991, 1992)

Cast as Kevin Costner's wife in the thriller "Mr. Brooks"

Grew up in North Bend, NE; worked part-time in a meat packing plant

Had a recurring role as George Clooney's love interest on NBC's medical drama "ER"

Played Steven Weber's irate sister in Showtime's miniseries about the elusive Gulf War Syndrome, "Thanks of a Grateful Nation"

Portrayed a novelist living in a haunted forest in the ABC miniseries, "The Tommyknockers"

Returned to series television as Catherine Willows on the CBS drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"; earned Best Actress Golden Globe (2002) and Emmy (2003) nominations

Played the regular role of Natalie Thayer in the short-lived CBS comedy-drama, "Shell Game"

Summary

A comely, red-haired leading lady with an open-faced, forceful manner, Marg Helgenberger began on the small screen as the feisty rookie police officer Siobhan Ryan on ABC's Irish-flavored daytime soap, "Ryan's Hope". After some primetime guest spots, she landed a regular role supporting Margot Kidder and James Reid on the short-lived CBS series about two former con artists, "Shell Game" (1987). She fared better with her second series, winning an Emmy for the provocative Vietnam War drama, "China Beach" (1988-91). As K.C., a prostitute who attaches herself to a M.A.S.H. unit in Vietnam, Helgenberger brought forthright feminist insights to her brash, hard-bitten character. Though she would have a recurring role as George Clooney's love interest on NBC's popular medical drama "ER" in 1996, she had to wait for her return as a series regular until the Las Vegas-set "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000- ). Cast as senior forensics investigator Catherine Willows, who tries to balance work and motherhood, the actress enjoyed a meaty role that earned her an Emmy nomination in its first season.

Met in 1984 when they appeared together on "Ryan's Hope" (ABC); Became reacquainted in 1986 after his divorce from actor Robin Bartlett; Married Sept. 9, 1989; Separated in November 2008 after 19 years of marriage; Filed for divorce in March 2009; Divorced Feb. 1, 2010

Hugh Rosenberg

Son

Born Oct. 21, 1990; father, Alan Rosenberg

Education

Name

Kearney State College

Northwestern University

Northwestern University

Notes

Her first name was pronounced with a hard "G."

"There's no BS about Marg. She's feisty, direct and down home." – "China Beach" co-star Concetta Tomei on Helgenberger, quoted in People magazine, July 1, 1991

Though she plays a crime scene investigator who comes across often gruesome scenes on "CSI," Helgenberger admits: "I'm relatively squeamish in civilian life. I've been very fortunate not to have to deal with such things in my immediate family. When we're filming autopsy scenes, I actually feel sad. Behind each of these death's there's usually a back story of unhappiness and loss. We use a guidebook the Las Vegas police put together that's incredibly graphic. Looking at the pictures can make me turn white. If I'm going over the script at home, my husband will ask, 'Are you all right?'" – quoted in Parade magazine, April 22, 2001